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By Sean, on November 30th, 2018  With a heavy heart we share the untimely passing of Cassandra Emary or “Cass” as most people will fondly remember. Not one to let boundaries or challenges get in her way, Cass was an avid white water kayaker and adventurer. At only 23, her energy and voracity for life showed in all aspects of her life.
Despite only being a recent convert to raft racing, Cass competed in the Australian Open Women’s team at the recent IRF World Rafting Championship in Neuquén, Argentina where she brought smiles to everyone she met. Sat back right, she commanded the view and was an integral part of the team.
Our thoughts are with her family and team mates now. Paddle on sister, we’ll meet you in the big eddy in the sky.
  #RaftersAreAwesome #LikeAGirl #ThisGirlCan
By Sean, on November 26th, 2018  A love of the ocean and living nowhere near to it led Chris “Mongo” Reeder to discover his life passion for rafting. Not content with just rafting, he’s leading an Adventure Racing project to get kids into the competitive world of adventure racing.
Chris grew up near the ocean in Maine and later moved to Colorado to follow a love of skiing. Colorado is about as far away from the ocean as you can get so in the summer he was naturally drawn to the next best thing, the river! He’d rafted in Maine growing up so it was a natural fit and has been working on the river in Colorado ever since. Continue reading We are river family – meet Chris “Mongo” Reeder
By Sean, on November 24th, 2018
With a heavy heart we share the news of the passing of Vladimir Naděje. The legend of Czech and international judges, to all he was simply known as Uncle.
Uncle Vladimir is on the other bank …
At 73 years old, Vladimir left us on November 22. A long-time rafting judge, co-author of the first Czech rafting rules, and a truly dedicated sportsman. An honest and equal man, he never favoured any over others.
Share with us in honouring his memory. Uncle Vláďa is already on the other bank.
#RaftersAreAwesome #integrity #honesty #gonebutnotforgotten
By Sean, on November 21st, 2018 The World Paddle Awards are a prestigious award voted on annually by the public and a select committee of paddle sports peers. This year the rafting world is fortunate to have three nominations in with a chance. But they need your help to ensure they make it to the finalists and ultimately in order to win in their categories.
Read more about each of the nominees below and follow the link to vote for them. Be sure to click on the big black “Thumbs Up” 👍🏻 at the bottom of each nominee description to ensure your vote is counted.
Continue reading Vote for our World Rafting Champions in the World Paddle Awards
By Sean, on November 19th, 2018
 A very familiar face to the European Raft Race scene, with a paddling career spanning 53 years, Stan Hájek started paddling as a child, later meeting his girlfriend (now wife) whilst paddling in the Czech Republic and East & West Europe. At the time, sport expeditions were the only way to look outside the Iron Curtain until 1989. After 1989, raft makers were established in the Czech Republic, his two sons grew up and he exchanged canoes for rafts. In 1991 Stan organised the first downriver raft race on the Kamenice River in CZE.
Continue reading We are river family – meet Stan Hájek
By Sean, on November 14th, 2018 
After the successful conclusion to the IRF World Rafting Championship (WRC) 2018 in Argentina, we now set our sights on the 2018 WRC in Tully, Australia. Teams have now started to register for the event – but most importantly now, all teams who want to stay in the Athletes’ Village need to book their accommodation by Friday, 14th December. This is to ensure that enough tents can be ordered and supplied in time for the competition.
Included in the accommodation package is the tent setup and take down, beds and bedding, power and lights within the tents themselves. There are toilets and showers located in the Athlete Village and the main heart of the entire event is co-located at the Tully Showgrounds so you won’t miss any of the entertainment. Buses to and from the competition site will pick up and drop off competitors right to the Athletes’ Village.
Don’t miss the opportunity to stay right in the heart of all the action. Book your team’s accommodation in the Athlete Village now:
www.wrc2019.com/team-and-athlete-information/#village
#AreYouReady #TameTheTully #RaftersAreAwesome
By Sean, on November 12th, 2018
 Owner/operator of Ultimate Descents in the land of the long white cloud (New Zealand) since 2002, Chair of the New Zealand River Association since 2014 and trip leader since 2000, this week we meet Tim Marshall. No stranger to the raft race circuit nor the IRF Guide Training & Education system, Tim is a senior 4/5 raft guide, river rescue instructor and raft guide assessor in NZ. He saw the light in 1998 when he realised he could work in the outdoors doing something he loves.
What motivates you to keep rafting?
The lifestyle, hanging in nature and showing what a beautiful world we live in to those who don’t get the chance to be in nature much. Meeting new people daily. Continue reading We are river family – meet Tim Marshall
By IRF admin, on November 10th, 2018 
The IRF’s 2018 World Rafting Champs came to a spectacular close today with the arduous Downriver. The rain and sprinkles of snow on the surrounding mountains did nothing to dampen the teams’ enjoyment of the awesome white water that the Aluminé offers.
The day definitely belonged to the Czechia teams. Their Open Men halted Brazil’s seven year streak of being World Champions, and all of their other teams medalled as well. Czechia are now the new World Champions in the Open Men’s and Women’s categories, as well as U23 Men, and Masters Men! They also took Bronze in U19 Men, Silver in U19 Women and silver in U23 Women – a great haul!
Continue reading Czechia have a golden day on the Alumine
By IRF admin, on November 10th, 2018 
The teams gathered along the banks of the River Ruca Choroi, to test their skills against the hard slalom course set for them. The river is an innocuous, narrow, Class 2 with 1 Class 3 rapid on it, normally simple to negotiate. But today the course was set to challenge the best rafters in the world – and so it did.
The fastest run of the day was Czech Open Men. They also achieved the lowest number of penalties – 5 seconds in each run. Argentina U19 Men won their category with an incredible run with only 10 seconds in penalties in their fastest run and a time that would have placed them in 7th in the Open Men’s Continue reading Skills, spills and thrills – Slalom on the Ruca Choroi
By IRF admin, on November 8th, 2018 
The first race of the day was a great illustration of the excitement that the new format with buoys has brought to the Head-to-Head (H2H). Netherlands Open Women came down the last part of the course needing to round the final buoy and as they rounded it and headed to the line Chile Open Women came surging past in the faster water to take the win right on the line.
It was not the only race that was so close at the finishing line. Unfortunately Continue reading Gold medal clashes in Head-to-head
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Photo Albums
 WRC 2014, Downriver  WRC 2014, Sprint  WRC 2013, H2H  WRC 2013, Slalom  WRC 2013, Slalom  ERC 2014  ERC 2014  World Cup Canada 2012 |
With a heavy heart we share the untimely passing of Cassandra Emary or “Cass” as most people will fondly remember. Not one to let boundaries or challenges get in her way, Cass was an avid white water kayaker and adventurer. At only 23, her energy and voracity for life showed in all aspects of her life.
#RaftersAreAwesome #LikeAGirl #ThisGirlCan
A love of the ocean and living nowhere near to it led Chris “Mongo” Reeder to discover his life passion for rafting. Not content with just rafting, he’s leading an Adventure Racing project to get kids into the competitive world of adventure racing.
A very familiar face to the European Raft Race scene, with a paddling career spanning 53 years, Stan Hájek started paddling as a child, later meeting his girlfriend (now wife) whilst paddling in the Czech Republic and East & West Europe. At the time, sport expeditions were the only way to look outside the Iron Curtain until 1989. After 1989, raft makers were established in the Czech Republic, his two sons grew up and he exchanged canoes for rafts. In 1991 Stan organised the first downriver raft race on the Kamenice River in CZE.
Owner/operator of 
